


Vasquez Has Had Enough

by Rhino (RhinoMouse)



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, Gen, I did not realize how many issues I had with James till I wrote this, I know its weird for me, Its all angst basically, James/Lena is a thing...sorta, So....Yikes, Supercorp is you want to read it that way but works as platonic as well, like seriously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-24
Updated: 2018-05-24
Packaged: 2019-05-13 04:13:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14741786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RhinoMouse/pseuds/Rhino
Summary: Vasquez is tired of watching injustice and people she looks up to run around in a cycle of hatred. She's also very tired of Supergirl being held to an impossible standard while everyone else stomps all over moral and legal lines with no accountability. So she does the logical thing, and has a talk with Lena Luthor. Because someone has to explain why Supergirl loses all sense when it comes to kryptonite. Also because someone needs to tell Lena how very new this support of her is from James. There's a big picture and it needs to be shown.





	Vasquez Has Had Enough

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I'm kinda back? Not really. I got a new job and am working full time while I go through training. But I've got a ton of fic waiting to be edited and published. This oneshot was just kinda burning a hole in my google docs folder. 
> 
> This turned out surprisingly anti-James which was kinda surprising to me? I mean I never really cared for him, even in season 1. Like I really resent that he was a character with so much potential and has been instead written in such a way I want to slap him really badly. But at the same time I really have tried to remain neutral on him...apparently that has come to an end. I just have gotten fed up. I'm so fed up. I mean for gods sake he is so self righteous and completely willing to judge others. And did he have to purposely phrase things in the worst possible way? I mean Kara didn't ask him to go look into Lena's vault because he was her boyfriend. She didn't ask him to in any way use his connection to Lena to look into it. She asked him to go as Guardian and check. Which Lena has a history of making awful things that get people killed, or at least have the potential of doing so without meaning to. Its a fair fear to think she's done the same thing again. Not that Kara should have done it, it was crossing a line. But still. I think its interesting she didn't ask the DEO or anyone who could/would hurt Lena with any information found. It just...I'm irritated and could go on for a really long time. A+ to the writers for writing a believable conflict though! 
> 
> Seriously everyone on this show needs so much therapy. Like so much. Just..all of the therapy.

Vasquez flashed her badge before walking straight into Lena Luthor’s office. She ignored the panicked secretary. Just glared as she marched straight to a surprised looking Luthor’s desk. “We need to talk.” 

“Agent?” Luthor raised a brow as the faint surprise from her entrance faded as if it had never been there. “I wasn’t aware we had an appointment.” 

She pulled the laptop she’d been holding underarm out and set it on the desk. “Since you’ve been given clearance there are things you need to know before we have another Super/Luthor rivalry happening.” 

It was barely susceptible but a certain coldness, a sharpness came to the Luthor woman’s features. She looked over to her indignant secretary. “Cancel my twelve o’clock and divert my phone calls. This might take a while.” Luthor’s eyes snapped back to her as the door closed leaving them alone in her office. “Now what’s your name Agent?” 

“Susan Vasquez ma’am.” Susan gave her a tight nod. 

Lena Luthor leaned back in her chair. “Then Agent Vasquez you have no reason to be here. I may have lost my high opinion of Supergirl but I am not my brother. I have no interest murdering her just because she’s a self-righteous liar. You can go. Unless there was something else?” 

“Supergirl fucked up, you know that, I know that, she knows that. But so did you. Several times actually.” Vasquez ignored the truly icey looks she was getting. “Didn’t you ever wonder how all the paperwork for you to be given a high level security clearance with the government was already on file and prepared before you even stepped inside our building? The DEO is as bureaucratic as the next institution. Or did you ever wonder why you ended up in a civilian jail instead of disappeared into a black site somewhere during the Medusa incident?” 

Luthor straightened in her chair. “What are you saying Agent?” 

“That you not only would be dead, but you would have been thrown in a hole and the key thrown away a long time ago if Supergirl hadn’t been a damned terror in defending you against everyone for the last two years. And that if your secret had been almost anything other than kryptonite she wouldn’t have completely lost it.” She didn’t back down at the stoney look. “Her reaction wasn’t logical, in line with her usual actions, or in any way right. But when she comes to you to apologize you will owe her one as well.” 

The woman’s face sharpened further, true anger lighting in her face. “I wasn’t aware saving the world required an apology.” 

“Did you know that the DEO has successfully killed a Kryptonian before?” Vasquez wasn’t going to get into some debate over what required an apology and why. She lived and breathed facts and logic. 

Luthor balked. “What?” 

“More than just killed actually, tortured with kryptonite.” Vasquez opened the laptop and stepped around the desk. She quickly pulled up the file she’d downloaded onto the device before coming here. “You seem to be under the impression our government doesn’t have kryptonite, we didn’t call in the army to deal with the World Killers because we knew if we failed they would take down the threat.” She hit play on the video without letting Luthor say a word. 

Lena Luthor didn’t say anything, just watching with thinly veiled interest as the surveillance of the Kryptonian cell at the DEO came up, Astra In-ze standing tall and proud in her tiny confines. It was sickening as General Lane entered with his lackies. His god awful moralizing, that he was superior to a woman with honor despite her faults. 

Vasquez didn’t twitch as the bile rose in the back of her throat as the two fully armed soldiers forced Astra into submission, as Supergirl pleaded. The obvious relationship between the two Kryptonians. The clear agony the kryptonite in the room was causing both of them. Vasquez stood there as the screen played out Alex dragging a sobbing Supergirl out of the room as the screams of agony came. Screams of agony from a battle hardened military general who had been trained to withstand torture. She stopped the video there. 

“What…” Lena sounded sick as she looked up at her. “How does that man still have his commission. That broke so many laws on treatment of prisoners. For godsake her cell didn’t even have a toilet!” 

Vasquez stared at the other woman in disbelief. “You are so privileged you don’t even know do you?” Shaking her head she spoke without mercy. “Aliens don’t fall under the Geneva Conventions. Torture and mutilation of a non-human isn’t against the law of any country on Earth.” 

“But aliens work for you?” Lena sounded completely baffled. 

Vasquez clicked the next file. “Supergirl’s first visit to the DEO after having done nothing to endanger a single human life.” She felt her jaw twitch with disgust at the body camera images of Supergirl being shot from the sky. It was disgusting to watch her coworkers casually strapping a hero into kryptonite cuffs. To watch the casual mistreatment as if she was nothing but a piece of meat, not a sentient being. 

It wasn’t a long clip. She spoke before Lena could as the video cut out. “She was released under the orders to cease all heroics. It was only after agreeing to work for the DEO that she wasn’t arrested for saving lives.” 

“I don’t…” Lena’s eyes were wide, disgust plain to be seen on her face. 

Vasquez didn’t let up. She pulled up the report on the Bizzaro incident. “Maxwell Lord experimented on making synthetic kryptonite.” The screen was filled with images of the victim of the experiments was shown. Her cracked skin, the tubes keeping her alive, if it could be called that. “His first attempt we are aware of created a human abomination with stolen Kryptonian DNA forcefully merged to human DNA using a variant of kryptonite. Supergirl still visits her even if she will likely never wake up.” 

“He’s free.” Lena’s voice was thick with rage. “Why?” 

She felt her own fury bubbling beneath her skin. “Because he was smart, he discovered Supergirl’s civilian identity as well as the families of several of our top agents. If we’d have touched him what do you think would have happened?” 

“And you couldn’t stop him?” Lena was looking at her, eyes narrowed. 

Vasquez stared at the woman in disbelief. “With only a single semi rogue cell of the DEO? No.” She switched to a photo of Supergirl in her black RedK suit. “His second known experiment in recreating kryptonite created a substance we call red kryptonite. It changes the brain chemistry of Kryptonians. Every dark and buried impulse is brought to the surface. Supergirl was hours from having a kill order put on her for her actions while drugged out of her mind when she was successfully apprehended.” 

“I remember that.” Lena’s voice was soft. 

“In response to the DEO stopping her instead of killing, as well as the identity of J’onn J’onzz as an alien being revealed; he and Alex Danvers were handed over to Cadmus for experimentation.” Vasquez paused at the shock on Lena’s face. “You didn’t know? Cadmus was a government organization that did the bulk of the experimentation on living and dead captured aliens until it went rogue after Lex’s attack. But it was still associated with the US government till Lillian burned too many bridges during Medusa.” 

Lena’s brow furrowed. “You’re saying the government officially sanctioned genocide.” 

“Of course, why do you think aliens hide?” Vasquez scoffed. “Supergirl’s human father was tortured and turned into a cybergenic abomination by Cadmus, after her human identity was discovered by the DEO when she was a child. The DEO also has control of and agents planted around her human mother. She doesn’t have a single human connection that is outside of the purview of the DEO.” 

There was a long pause as Lena stared at her, horror clear on her features. “The DEO helps aliens now, how…” 

“Helps? We’re the Guantanamo Bay of alien law enforcement.” Vasquez spat. “J’onn has actively hired Agents who aren’t xenophobic, and carefully cut ties with both General Lane and Cadmus. But do you think our cells are humane? Our prisoners never leave, they don’t get trials, fresh air, activities. They sit in solitary confinement until they die.” 

There was nothing but disgust in Lena’s face. “How has this been allowed to exist?” 

“Because the public doesn’t care. If the truth got out what do you think would happen? Nothing.” Vasquez didn’t back down. “Supergirl lost it with you because it was kryptonite, and because she staked her reputation, her life, her relationships with every human she cares for that you would never have had or handled kryptonite when you were accused of assisting your mother.” 

“So what, all of this...I have nothing to with this. It doesn’t give her the right to use my relationships against me.” Lena stood up, a spark that had been fleeting at the horror of the truth of the DEO returning. 

Vasquez rolled her eyes. “Yes I’m sure Supergirl reacting badly for a few days after risking her life for you repeatedly, even while angry with you means nothing. She fucked up. But she fucked up for a reason. And personally the fact that James decided to defend you for the first time in two years, the one time Supergirl doubted you is suspect. Then he always did hold a foolish moral standard over her, it’s rather why I believe their relationship barely lasted.” 

“Their what?” Lena spluttered eyes widening. 

Vasquez rolled her eyes. “Supergirl has secrets, and her reasons for keeping them are in some ways rooted in real fear. And others in errors of judgement she doesn’t know how to correct. But I think it's interesting she didn’t ask any of the dozens of agents who would have done as she asked and instead asked James to investigate you. Especially since she’s always been staunchly against a human acting as a vigilante due to the risks. But she asked a person she trusted and thought of as on your side to look into it. Not only that she didn’t ask him to use his relationship with you to get the information. She asked him to go as Guardian. The DEO only found out because James told an agent, who recorded the search.” 

“None of this makes any sense. Why are you doing this?” Lena crossed her arms protectively, her mask cracking ever so slightly. 

She stared at the other woman. “Because Supergirl is far more human than anyone ever gives her credit for, and because every human on this planet owes her their lives. So if I can make you listen when she apologizes, and she will, then I will have repaid that debt if only in the smallest of ways. Especially you.” Vasquez looked up and down the Luthor. “She’s gone above and beyond to save you. In her efforts to protect you she’s risked her life regularly. Saving you from Lillian despite Metallo, Henshaw and Lex’s vault of anti-Kryptonian weapons. Not touching you when you went to turn that key to launch Medusa despite being fast enough she could have physically stopped you. Going on the Daxamite ship to save you and Mon-el. Rushing to your side despite knowing she’d face two World Killers. Facing the Nanobot swarm to protect you. I could go on, but I think you get the point.” 

Vasquez cleared her throat before adding. “And you should know that James is quick to judge. He doesn’t stand for human error, or failure even when completely out of the control of a person. You should ask Alex or Winn how he reacted to Supergirl while on Red K. His word on others’ actions should be taken with a grain of salt.” 

“Is that all?” Lena scoffed as she stood. “Or are you going to tell me I shouldn’t have tried to help my friend?” 

“No.” Vasquez closed the laptop. “But you should keep in mind if James was in her position you would be dead.” 

“What are you talking about?” Lena frowned, her body tense. 

She felt a thrum of pity for the other woman, but she was sick of the lies. Of watching Kara get hurt. “The president ordered the Daxamite ship to be shot out of the sky while you were still on board. The only way to help you was for Supergirl to work with your mother, a woman who tortured her. But she did it against everyone’s advice. Or during the Medusa Incident James spent a lot of time trying to convince Supergirl that you should be left to rot. Or when Corbin first tried to kill you everyone thought you were the villain. Or with the lead incident. Funny it was Supergirl and your friends who saved you. Funny that even in this latest incident with the World Killers that it was Supergirl who rushed to your side every time you were in danger and not James.”

“You don’t like him.” It wasn’t a question. 

Vasquez just tilted her head up slightly. “No, for what it's worth you deserve better than him. And you deserve better than Supergirl’s reaction. But one of them was still willing to die for you when they doubted you. I think that ought to count for something.” She let her head cock slightly to the side. “Especially when that doubt only existed because of extensive negative history and likely mental trauma.” She rolled her eyes. 

Lena’s brows pulled together. “You think all of this means I should just roll over and accept being stabbed in the back? I can see your point if all of this is true. But it does not give her the right. I’ve been betrayed far too many times.” 

“If you really think that you’re an idiot.” Vasquez looked at the other woman, her eyes narrowed. “Why don’t we discuss why her frankly ridiculous trust and support of you is foolish. Your Alien Detection Device? What do you think that would have done? It would have lead to more murder, death, pain, and discrimination than any other invention in history.” She felt a snarl in her voice as she spoke. “What do you think would have happened to an alien who went to buy groceries but the store had that device at the counter?” 

Lena’s spine stiffened. “It would have allowed for humans to know-”

“It would have let them root out and kill anyone who was different than them.” Vasquez cut her off. “Would you feel comfortable with your last name going into an alien bar with a name tag on your jacket? Of course not, you likely wouldn’t survive the night unless Supergirl was personally accompanying you. Your invention would have enabled every xenophobic human on the planet, you might as well have stuck a triangle or star on their chests and been done with it.” 

“That is-”

“No.” Vasquez forced out. “It’s exactly what that device was. You may not have made it out of hatred and spite you would have done more for the xenophobic cause than your brother could have dreamed of accomplishing.” She couldn’t believe how used to xenophobia their planet was, that something like this could even be argued. “The government has been capable of making advanced kryptonite blockers for years. The Supers are of course never allowed their use unless for short periods of time, and only the old prototypes that break easily. You ever wonder why neither of them is protected from a substance that can so easily kill or drug them?” 

Lena was pale as she looked at her. “It’s so they can kill them.” 

“Indeed.” Vasquez gave her a short tilt of her chin. “We have an entire anti-kryptonian weapons closet, if Reign had been a regular kryptonian we’d have taken her down months ago. If Supergirl stood against us she would have been killed, her friends and family would have been killed. She’s a prisoner of the United States Government in all but name. As is J’onn J’onzz. If either of them becomes a threat they wouldn’t survive it. Superman may be an arrogant ass who refuses to work with anyone, but sometimes I think he’s the wiser of the two.”

Vasquez dropped a file on Lena’s desk. “That’s a list of all ‘hostile’ aliens the DEO has killed in just the last two months. We’re not the good guys in this fight. We’re just the closest thing to it on this planet. And you should know Supergirl knows you wouldn’t have made anything out of cruelty or hatred, but it doesn’t mean you wouldn’t have made something that would have enabled genocide or torture accidently.” 

////

Lena had ignored the bottle of scotch sitting across the room. She needed to be clear headed for this. Quite simply she didn’t want to have the conversation she needed to have, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to do it. 

As James walked in he clearly picked up on the mood of the room. “Lena, has something happened?” 

“I need you to answer some questions for me.” She walked out onto the balcony knowing he’d follow. As he joined her she spoke. “First, were you or were you not in a relationship with Supergirl?” 

He balked slightly in surprise. “Yes, who told you?” 

“That doesn’t matter.” Lena turned so that she was facing him. “What matters is what I was told this afternoon. Were you aware of the dangers of artificially creating kryptonite?” 

James frowned slightly. “Yes?” 

“Why didn’t you inform me that if I’d made a mistake I could have turned Supergirl into a monster as bad as Reign?” Her spine was steel, but she needed to ease to the questions she really needed to ask. 

He seemed surprised. “I didn’t think it mattered, you’d clearly done it right.” 

“Are you aware of the gross human rights violations the DEO and the United States Army regularly make against aliens?” She kept her arms tight against her sides. Everything in her wanted to reach out, to let him assure her that everything was fine, that he trusted her. But she couldn’t do that. 

James’s face tightened. “They stop criminals, but they do cross lines.” 

“Criminals.” Lena felt sick, he had justified it to himself to some degree then. “And the torture? The inhumane prison standards? You’ve been the head of, and still run, one of the largest media empires in the world and you haven’t covered any of that. Why?” 

He looked down. “It’s getting better, J’onn and Supergirl are making the DEO a better organization. If I burned their secrecy what good they are able to do would be gone.” 

“And when Marsdin is no longer president and General Lane is given freedom to do as he pleases again?” Lena watched his face, did he truly not understand that he had the power to make the planet a better place? 

James’s jaw tightened. “Then having a DEO led by J’onn will be even more important.” He looked at her. “The DEO has problems, but they’re being fixed. Slowly yes, but in another ten years they won’t be a thing of nightmares for aliens. They’re the best we have right now.” 

“Are you so used to injustice you can stand by and do nothing?” Lena stared at him before shaking her head. He’d trusted her, she should know more than anyone how easy it was to not speak up till one was forced to. “I need to know, did you tell Supergirl not to rescue me when Lillian kidnapped me?” 

“Yes.” He didn’t flinch as he answered. “I let myself believe the worst because of your name. I regret it, but I did tell her that.” 

Lena held his gaze. “When the Daxamites invaded, when the DEO had a cannon aimed at the mothership. Did you try to prevent Supergirl from working with Lillian to rescue myself and Mon-el.” 

“Yes.” His voice cracked. “I didn’t trust Lillian, I thought it was a trap. I wish I could go back, but I cannot.” 

She felt something inside of her freeze, she’d more than proven herself by then. He had known she was innocent, but hadn’t been willing to risk anything to help her. Lena swallowed. “Did you trust me when Edge accused me of poisoning those children?” 

“I...I didn’t think you’d done it on purpose if you were responsible.” He looked ashamed, his shoulders pulled in. 

Lena didn’t want to push, she didn’t want her last question answered. “Before being asked to investigate me by Supergirl had you ever defended me to someone you cared for?” 

“No.” James didn’t lie or balk, but she could hear in him how much he wished to. 

Lena swallowed. “I need you to leave.” She tightened her arms around herself. “I don’t know if I can look at you right now, let alone continue to see you. But until I do know I need you to leave.” 

“Alright.” He took a step back, his hand twitching as if to reach out to her. “I do care for you Lena. If I could go back knowing you as I know you now, I’d have done things differently.” 

She bit back the choked sound from escaping her. “That’s the problem James, you required two years of watching me try to be better than my name.” 

James acted as if to speak, but then he turned and left. He’d seen something on her face that had prevented him from fighting. 

 

 

 

Lena was both surprised and not surprised when she heard the soft thud of booted feet landing on her balcony. It was late, her employees had all gone home. She probably should be home, but with Sam unconscious for the foreseeable future she had enough to keep her at the office long past what was reasonable. It didn’t help that she had nothing to come home to. She stood up from her desk and walked out onto the balcony, she didn’t want to invite the Super into her space. “Supergirl.” 

“Zor-el.” Supergirl was tense, drawn inwards, biting at her lip. “My surname is Zor-el.”

Lena stared at her for a long moment, it was a peace offering. A gesture to prevent herself from being ordered away. But despite knowing why the information had been given to her she still felt a tiny crack in her walls. “Well then Zor-el, why are you here?” 

“I do trust you.” Zor-el’s head snapped upwards as she looked at her. “I have never thought of you as being the same as Lex or Lillian and I’m sorry for ever throwing that in your face.” 

She stared at the other woman, it wasn’t enough. But it was...it was something. “You think that will make using my personal relationships against me better?” Lena couldn’t help the venom from leaking into her tone. 

“No.” The woman ducked her head, brushing some of her hair behind one ear. “I just...why wouldn’t you come to me?” 

Lena raised a brow. “You threw away two years of trust over the word kryptonite. Why would I ever have brought that to you?” 

“There are other ways!” Zor-el bit off glaring to the side. She took in a deep breathe. “I’m sorry, I didn’t come here to argue over this again.” Looking back she pulled something out from behind her back. “I know you don’t trust me, especially after what happened with James. I wanted to give you this.” 

Reaching out she accepted the thin box. Opening it she felt a twist of confusion. “A watch?” 

“It’s a beacon.” Supergirl reached out cautiously, pointing to the side of the accessory. “If you press the dial in it will emit a sound at a frequency that is inaudible to humans. I’ll be able to find you, regardless of whether any signal is being disrupted.” 

Lena looked at her curiously. “Why now?” 

“Because I will always save you.” The woman didn’t falter. There was still a lack of the usual friendliness and openness to her. But she showed nothing but sincerity when it came to her words. 

She slipped the watch into her pocket. Later she would ensure it only did what Zor-el said it did, but for now she’d accept the gesture for what it was being presented as. “I didn’t know that if I’d made a mistake synthesizing kryptonite I could have taken away your free will. I didn’t know the pain it caused you, not really.” 

“I didn’t think you did. But it's dangerous Lena.” There was a thrum of hurt in Zor-el’s voice as she spoke. 

Lena breathed in slowly. She would give the hero the same chance she’d given James. It was what was owed for how many times she’d had her life saved. “Have you ever gone behind my back before this?” 

Zor-el opened her mouth and then closed it. Her brow crinkled. “When you first arrived in National City, after the Venture explosion I scanned your office quickly. I didn’t think it was you, but I needed to eliminate you.” 

“We hadn’t even met then.” Lena spoke more to herself than to the other woman. It made sense, it was the logical thing to do, it hadn’t been underhanded. She could accept that. “On any other occasions?” 

The hero swallowed thickly. “Before Medusa.” 

“What did you do?” Lena felt a sick feeling in her gut. 

Zor-el closed her eyes, guilt plain to be seen on her face. But then she met her gaze. “The DEO suspected that you may have been involved with Lillian and Cadmus. They were going to hack into your personal accounts and were discussing bringing you in for questioning.” 

Lena frowned. “Kara. You sent Kara to ask me those ridiculous questions about Lillian. I had wondered what that had been.” She felt the sick feeling in her gut untwisting. It was insulting, but it had been an effort to clear her name. She could easily see Kara volunteering to do something like that in a misguided effort to protect her. “Why not just ask me?”

“I didn’t…” Zor-el looked at the ground. “I know what it’s like to learn that your parents weren’t who you thought they were. That they did awful things. You’d already lost so much, I didn’t want to take Lillian away from you.” 

She traced her eyes over the stance of the Super, there was an honesty to how she was speaking that Lena found herself trusting against herself. But she also found herself relaxing ever so slightly. Both of those events had been early in their relationship, and both had been misguided attempts to protect her. Stupid, and she was irritated by the treatment as if she wasn’t an adult capable of making her own decisions. “Any other lies I should know about?” 

“One.” Zor-el fidgeted, her face painted with a guilt that made everything curl defensively inside of Lena. “I should have told you a long time ago.” 

“What is it?” Lena wrapped an arm around her middle. She was going to be sick. 

Zor-el looked at her with those large blue eyes that seemed to see through everything. “My name.” 

“You don’t owe me your human identity.” Lena’s shoulders relaxed slightly. “It was unfair of me to hold that over you.” 

But the woman shook her head. “No that’s…” She let out a sound of frustration. “I waited too long, I’m bad at telling people. I’ve only told two people and only one because I wanted to.” Zor-el shifted her weight awkward. “I wasn’t sure how or when, and then I realized I’d waited too long and you’d hate me when you found out. And I...I was too scared to lose you.” 

“Lose me?” Lena frowned as she went over the words in her head. “We have had a working relationship, a friendly one at that. But we..” 

“You know me.” Zor-el interrupted. “When I’m in my human identity you know me.” 

She froze. Lena was one of the brightest beings on the planet, without even thinking of it she ran through every person she knew on at least a passing level. Eliminating anyone who wasn’t blonde, or whom she hadn’t seen interacting with Supergirl was easy. The list wasn’t very long. Then simple height markers, shoulder width, and general physique cut the list down to one name. She was going to be sick. 

“My name is Kara Zor-el, but I go by Kara Danvers here on earth.” Supergirl, Kara’s eyes welled up. “I’m so sorry. I should have told you years ago, before the invasion at least. Knowing is so dangerous.” She looked down, tears rolling down her cheeks. “But you only ever saw me as me and I...I couldn’t lose that. I tried to tell you a dozen times, but then it was too late.” 

Lena held up her hand stopping Kara’s words. She closed her eyes. Pieces of a puzzle she hadn’t even known she had slotted together, a picture rising. “Did you befriend me to keep an eye on me?” 

“NO!” Kara protested, her eyes widening in horror. “Never! I became friends with you because you were so bright! You were kind and brilliant and wanted to make the world a better place. I couldn’t stop myself.” 

She stared hard at her friend, her best friend. Lena was so tired, she just...she was exhausted. “I’m going to be very angry with you.” Lena’s jaw ticked slightly. “And our relationship isn’t going to be the same.” She spoke slowly. “But right now I want to go home, and watch something mindless with a pint of ice cream and some scotch. Is that something you can do?” 

Kara seemed to understand the invitation, the slightest ghost of a smile pulling at her lips as she nodded eagerly. “I can fly you to your apartment?” 

“Is there anything that can get you drunk?” Lena took a step closer to the other woman. “I have a lot of questions and I have a feeling we both are going to want to be very drunk for them.” 

Nodding so quickly that her head was practically a blur she scooped her up into her arms. “I can grab some after I drop you off.” 

“Good.” Lena let herself press her nose against Kara’s collarbone, her eyes closing. She was so tired, but she could forgive this. For Kara she could forgive this. After everything they’d been through together they could get through this too.


End file.
